The New Moon is exact at 6:57 pm PST at 26 degrees of Aries on April 15th. Aries relates to raw energy, to impetus and initiative, to our primal urge toward life and self expression, sexuality, physicality, identity, and selfhood. As a cardinal fire sign, Aries strikes out on its own, with enthusiasm, beginning new projects, inspiring others, blazing the trail, exploring new ground.

The forward momentum offered by Aries is enhanced by Mercury stationing direct on the same day as the New Moon: Mercury has come to a standstill, emphasizing issues around communication, and will begin moving forward and picking up speed in the coming days. As Mercury is in Aries, we may feel more prepared now to express ourselves, to state our needs and desires, to communicate authentically.

The New Moon is conjunct to Uranus, the planet of radicality, freedom, individuality, individuation, spontaneity, surprise, shock, instability, genius, making all these themes more prominent. This is a time to clarify who you are, to refine your identity, to be true to your weirdness, your uniqueness. In the coming days, we can expect to move forward in surprising new ways.

The New Moon and Uranus are loosely square to Mars, Saturn, and Pluto in Capricorn. There is some friction between selfhood and freedom (Aries), and the establishment (Capricorn). This is a time to harness the Aries warrior spirit to stand up for what we believe and desire in the face of power and tradition. This is a time to express our true and authentic natures (Aries) despite what others may expect of us (Capricorn).

One way that all these themes may connect is around gender identity, or sexual expression. While I don’t believe in assigning the planets fixed genders (because it reifies stereotypical gender roles), in the spirit of play and exploration, I wish to suggest that, at least for a moment, we consider Uranus as genderqueer. When I feel into the energy of Uranus, I get a distinctly non-binary vibe. It feels to me like Uranus probably prefers to be referred to as “they” and “them”.

While Uranus asserts their individuality, they also long for belonging, and they know that both are possible. Uranus dreams of a world in which we make space for difference and respect each other for who we are, in which we are radically free, and radically ourselves. Uranus works to queer the world, confusing the established order, stepping aside of heteronormativity, questioning what resists questioning, and dancing toward a culture that is more inclusive, more just, and more caring.

So, who are you and how can you be more of that? How can you express yourself to the world? Being ourselves in itself, can be a courageous and revolutionary act inspiring more freedom and acceptance in the world.